Roman Zhurbin was born in Moscow, Russia and came to the United States at 13. He began his ballet training at 15 at LaGuardia High School under the direction of Michelle Mathesius, Joey Smith, Michele Benash and Eddie Shelman. During his high school years Zhurbin also trained at Studio Maestro with Francois Perron, Debra Wingert and Marina Stavitskaya. In 2003, he attended American Ballet Theatre's Summer Intensive Program and was asked to join ABT's Studio Company.

Zhurbin joined American Ballet Theatre as an apprentice in April 2004 and became a member of the corps de ballet in April 2005. He became a Soloist in August 2014. His roles with the Company include the High Brahmin in La Bayadère, Gavrilyich in The Bright Stream, a Step-Sister in Frederick Ashton's Cinderella, Dr. Coppélius in Coppélia, the Pasha in Le Corsaire, Don Quixote in Don Quixote, Lysander in The Dream, the Father in Fall River Legend, Kaschei in Alexei Ratmansky’s Firebird, the Duke in Gaîté Parisienne, the Duke in Giselle, The Man She Must Marry in Jardin aux Lilas, Armand's Father in Lady of the Camellias, Monsieur GM and the Jailer in Manon, the Baron in The Merry Widow, Yslaev in A Month in the Country, the Moor in The Moor's Pavane, Drosselmeyer in Kevin McKenzie's The Nutcracker, Drosselmeyer, the Russian Dance and the Arabian Man in Alexei Ratmansky's The Nutcracker, Prince Gremin in Onegin, the Moor and the Chief Coachman in Petrouchka, the Head Wrangler in Rodeo, Tybalt, Lord Capulet and Lord Montague in Romeo and Juliet and von Rothbart, the Spanish Dance and the Lead Czardas in Swan Lake and roles in Aftereffect, Baker's Dozen, The Brahms-Haydn Variations, Brief Fling, Black Tuesday, Company B, Dark Elegies, Désir, The Garden of Villandry, The Leaves Are Fading and One of Three.

Zhurbin created the role of the Fiancés Father in On the Dnieper, Alonso in The Tempest and a role in Everything Doesn't Happen at Once.